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Vanguard Group announced Thursday an aggressive expansion strategy to expand its index fund family.The Valley Forge, Pa., mutual fund giant plans to introduce 19 new funds with exchange-traded fund in an effort to offer a wider array of low-cost stock and bond options. The firm will also launch ETF shares of its flagship Vanguard 500 Index Fund.

Think way back — well, a few months ago — to all the hype about how private-equity firms were poised to swoop in and buy struggling banks left and right.

See Advisor TV video here: http://www.financial-planning.com/video/morningstar-dolan-advisortv2667536-1.html

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. announced Tuesday it launched a unit designed to clear futures and derivatives trades.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board and the other banking regulators finalized guidance governing executive compensation practices on Monday and announced its review of pay at the largest holding companies had turned up significant flaws.

CHICAGO — The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a review of a failed investment by five southeastern Wisconsin school districts in collateralized debt obligations that were intended to establish trusts to pay the districts’ non-pension retiree healthcare benefits.

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged ICP Asset Management LLC and its founder and President, Thomas Priore, with defrauding investors in four multi-billion-dollar collateralized debt obligations that were insured by American International Group.

The Internal Revenue Service is extending some deadlines for sponsors of defined-contribution retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans, that were affected by storms and other severe weather in Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Financial advisers are starting to turn their backs on the idea of going independent and are instead favoring the benefits of working at wire houses, a survey found.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. named a new chief financial officer Tuesday, part of an executive shuffle it said would help groom the company's future leaders.

More than half of wealth managers believe the industry is undergoing a dramatic change, according to a new survey by SEI, and a further third concede the industry is at least somewhat moving in a customer-centric direction.

Individual Retirement Account assets have overtaken assets held in 401(k) plans and 403(b) plans for the first time, according to a Cogent Research report.

Suddenly, Florida is the ripening fruit for many bank buyers, which raises the question, How did that happen?

American Banker | Monday, June 21, 2010

Putnam Investments plans to continue to aggressively expand its array of products even as market volatility has forced some competitors to retrench.

Proponents of the fiduciary standard for all financial advisors began watching the House-Senate conference committee Wednesday as it began considering whether to include the requirement in the financial regulatory reform bill.

In an age where just about anything can be bought and sold entirely through the Internet, there is still an exception or two. A house is one.

Nomura Draws In Barclays, Credit Suisse Dealmakers

Standard & Poor's and Financial Research Corp.announced a content licensing and distribution agreement Thursday whereby FRC data will be available on S&P's MarketScope Advisor platform for financial advisers. Terms of the agreement, including financial considerations, were not disclosed. An S&P spokesman denied the deal is a precursor to an acquisition of FRC from its parent, private equity firm Mercatus Partners LLC.

The May 6 Flash Crash has sent the Investment Company Instituteinto action. The Washington trade association wants a better handle on high-frequency trading and dark pools. Not only is the ICI asking this clandestine corner of the market for more information, but it's urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to look closer, too.